BLUEBERRY CHIA SEED JAM RECIPE

I have to admit, I am not a fan of jam. I usually find it too sweet, and for obvious reasons: most jams are laden with processed sugar. In order for jam to get that jelly consistency, the fruit has to be boiled with sugar so that pectin can be released.

You can buy your own pectin to reduce the amount of sugar used, but let’s be real here — the less sugar the better. That’s why this recipe is so amazing! Chia seeds can hold 9 times the weight of the seed in water, causing a bead of gel to form around them when soaked.

Blueberries are considered the ‘king’ of antioxidant foods, and the antioxidants in this fruit tend to accumulate in areas of the brain that are essential for intelligence. They appear to interact with aging neurons, as asix year study of 16,010 elderly participants has evinced. They found that blueberries and strawberries were linked to delays in cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years.

Pairing these two together seems like a no-brainer to me!

Ingredients

3 cups fresh blueberries

3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste (or other liquid sweetener)

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium-sized non-stick pot, bring the blueberries and 3 tbsp of maple syrup to a low boil. Stir frequently, and reduce heat to low-medium to simmer for about 5 minutes. Lightly mash the blueberries with a potato masher or fork, leaving some for texture.

2. Stir in the chia seeds until thoroughly combined and cook the mixture down until it thickens to your desired consistency, or about 15 minutes. Stir frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pot.

3. Once the jam is thick, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Add more maple syrup to taste if desired. Enjoy on toast, English muffins, oatmeal, vegan overnight oats, oat bars, tarts, cookies, banana soft serve, smoothies, and more. The jam should keep for at least a week in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Let us know some of your chia seed or blueberry recipes, or if you have a traditional jam recipe you’d like to share!

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